Monday, 4 July 2016

MALADAPTED may be set in a distant future but it contains
much relevance to the world of today. So much so, that I was a little freaked
out to read the opening – a terrorist bombing of a Metro, as the same events
unfolded in Brussels on my TV screen. One of the book’s protagonists, Cillian,
walks out of the explosion unharmed, only to realise that his whole life has
been a lie, because he is not, in fact, human, but a genetically engineered
cyborg. As he searches for the truth he comes in contact with the second
protagonist of the book – Tess, the terrorist who planted the bomb. The two
characters, who should hate each other, are drawn together as Tess is betrayed
by the fanatical religion she has been a devout follower of all her life.

Together, they try to make sense of a world in which robots
do the menial jobs while people get to enjoy all the benefits of ultra-modern
science and technology. Some people, that is. Because a mere scratch at the
shiny surface of Foundation City reveals an ugly underbelly – ‘Foundations were
always built on somebody’s bones.’

And indeed the book asks many important questions about
science, technology, and genetics. Just because we can do something, does it
mean we should?

The writing itself is super-sharp and as finely engineered
as the robots that traverse the book’s pages. Chapters are short and always end
on cliff-hangers which make for compulsive reading. The pace is incredibly fast
and cinematic, which is no surprise given that the author is a BAFTA-nominated
screenwriter.

A fantastic read which will appeal to even the
most reluctant readers. (12+)